Anti-pillaring smoke shell



Sept. 17, 1963 H. ROSENTHAL ANTI-PILLARING SMOKE SHELL Original FiledOct. 15', 1958 Maw, aawy pww United States Patent 3,103,888 r vANTLPILLARING SMOKE SHELL Henry Rosenthal, 1210 12th St. NW Washington5, D.C. Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 767,493,

Oct. 15, 1958.. No. 182,159

3 Claims. 31. 102-66) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see,2616) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to meof any royalty thereon.

This application is a continuation of my copending application SerialNo. 767,493, filed October 15, 1958, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an anti-pillaring white phosphorus filledsmoke shell and more particularly to a burster type smoke shell which isprovided with inserts which provide a shaped charge effect to cutthrough the shell casing.

The conventional burster type smoke shell is provided with a burstercharge disposed centrally and longitudinally in the shell casing. Thechemical filler surrounds the burster charge and fills the remainder ofthe casing. It has been found that in the use of such a burster typesmoke shell that a vertical pillar of smoke is produced which reducesthe desired horizontal dispersion of the smoke. This effect is due tothe fact that the shell casing shatters and does not peel away properlyupon detonation of the burster charge.

The present invention overcomes the above noted deficiencies byproviding shaped inserts between the burster charge and shell casing.The shaped charge effect is old and well known and need not be furtherdiscussed here. The inserts provided in the shell produce a modifiedshaped charge elfect to cut through the shell casing alongcircumferentially spaced, longitudinal lines and in effect allow thecasing to peel away. With such pee-ling away of the casing the pillaringeflfect or formation of a column of smoke in the direction of the shellaxis is reduced as the white phosphorus will remain in relatively largepieces which will burn as a smoke pot, rather than being subdivided intosmall bits and thrown into the air in a single treatment as is done withthe usual type of shell.

An object of this invention is to provide a burster type smoke shell inwhich the pillaring efiect is reduced or eliminated.

-A further object of the invention is to provide a burster type smokeshell having shaped inserts extending longi tudinally of the shell.

Another object is to construct a burster type smoke shell such that upondetonation the shell casing will be ruptured along longitudinal lines toallow the casing to peel away.

These and other objects will become more apparent when reference is hadto the following detailed description and drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a sectional view of the burster type smoke shell of thisinvention,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line y 2-2 of FIGURE 1showing one type of insert,

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing a ipodified form ofinsert, and

FIGURE 4 is another view similar to FIGURE 2 and showing still anotherform of the insert.

' -In FIGURE 1 there is shown a burster type smoke shell having an outercasing 1 having a rotating band 2, a nose piece 3 which carries the fuzemechanism and booster 4. Mounted centrally and longitudinally of theshell is the burster casing 5 which carries the burster charge 6. Anadaptor 7 is threaded into the shell casing and centers the forward endof the burster casing 5 and This applicationMar. 22, 1962, Ser.

2 also carries the nose piece ;3 and booster 4. The chemical filler suchas white phosphorus which produces smoke is indicated at 8 and isdisposed between the burster casing 5 and shell casing 1. Theconstruction of the shell thus far described is old and well known inthe art.

In FIGURES l and 2 is shown one form of insert 9 in accordance with thepresent invention. Three such inserts 9 are shown, but it is to beunderstood that more or less could be used without departing from thescope of the inventions. The inserts 9 are of generally triangular orwedge shape, their outer walls conforming to the shape of the interiorof the shell casing and are made of metal such as copper. These insertsare equi-angularly spaced and extend substantially the entire length ofthe interior of the shell casing, but do not extend all the way in tothe burster casing. When the burster charge is detonated the Wave frontmoves radially of the shell and acts upon the inserts 9. In the mannerof a shaped charge a high pressure wave front and slug of insertmaterial are formed which are effective to rupture the shell casingalong the line of the insert. Thus, with the use of three inserts theshell casing would in eifect peel off in three pieces allowing forbetter dispersal of the filler chemical 8.

In FIGURE 3 are shown inserts 9' of a different shape. These inserts 9extend the entire distance between the burster casing and shell casingand are of wedge shape with the inner and outer walls being made arcuateto conform to the shape of the burster and shell casings.

The inserts 9" shown in FIGURE 4 are also of wedge shape and abut theburster charge casing, but their outer Walls terminate short of theinner wall of the shell casing 1.

While I have shown and described various specific embodiments of myinvention it will be understood that these illustrations are exemplaryonly and that various other modifications in construction andarrangement may be made within the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A burster type smoke shell comprising an outer shell casing, aburster charge mounted centrally of and extending substantially theentire length of said casing, a plurality of circum-ferentially spacedhollow wedge-shaped inserts adapted to produce a modified shaped chargeetfect, said inserts being radially disposed between the burster chargeand the interior of the shell casing and extending substantially theentire length of said casing, the wedgeshaped inserts having the apexabutting the burster charge with the wide-end of the wedge abutting theinterior of the shell casing and circumferentially conforming thereto, anon-explosive smoke producing agent disposed between said inserts, saidburster charge upon impact of the shell casing with the target adaptedto act upon the inserts to produce a modified shaped charge effect bothradially and longitudinally so as to rupture the shell casing inlongitudinal sections corresponding to the spacing of said inserts todeliver the smoke-producing agent practically intact.

2. A burster type smoke shell comprising an outer shell casing, aburster charge disposed centrally of and extending substantially theentire length of said casing, a plurality of hollow wedge-shaped insertshaving the wide end of the wedge abutting the interior of the shell andconforming thereto adapted to produce a modified shaped charge effeet inresponse to the detonation of the burster charge, said inserts beingequidistantly spaced apart and radially spaced equidistantly from theburster charge, said inserts extending longitudinally substantially theentire length of said casing, a non-explosive smoke producing agentdisposed in the remaining space within the shell casing, said burstercharge upon impact of the shell casing with the target adapted to actupon the wedge-shaped inserts to produce a modified shaped charge effectboth radially and longitudinally to rupture the shell casing inlongitudinal sections corresponding to the spacing of said inserts toexpose the smoke producing agent practically intact.

3. A burster type smoke shell comprising an outer shell, a burstercharge mounted centrally of and extending substantially the entirelength of said casing, a plurality of circumferentially spaced hollowwedge-shaped inserts with the apex adjacent to the burster charge, theapex of said inserts shaped to conform to and abutting said burstercharge, said inserts disposed radially from said burster charge With theWide-end of the Wedge-shaped inserts spaced equidistantly from the shellcasing and extending substantially the entire length of said casing, anon-explosive smoke producing agent disposed in the remaining spacewithin the shell casing, said burster charge upon impact of the shellcasing With the target adapted to act upon the wedge-shaped inserts toproduce a modified shaped charge effect both radially and longitudinallyto rupture the shell casing in longitudinal sections corresponding tothe spacing of said inserts to expose the smoke producing agentpractically intact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,175,800 Nixon Mar. 14, 1916 1,340,871 Barker et al. May 25, 19202,831,429 Moore Apr. 22, 1958

1. A BURSTER TYPE SMOKE SHELL COMPRISING AN OUTER SHELL CASING, A BURSTER CHARGE MOUNTED CENTRALLY OF AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CASING, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED HOLLOW WEDGE-SHAPED INSERTS ADAPTED TO PRODUCE A MODIFIED SHAPED CHARGE EFFECT, SAID INSERTS BEING RADIALLY DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BURSTER CHARGE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE SHELL CASING AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CASING, THE WEDGESHAPED INSERTS HAVING THE APEX ABUTTING THE BURSTER CHARGE WITH THE WIDE-END OF THE WEDGE ABUTTING THE INTERIOR OF THE SHELL CASING AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY CONFORMING THERETO, A NON-EXPLOSIVE SMOKE PRODUCING AGENT DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID INSERTS, SAID BURSTER CHARGE UPON IMPACT OF THE SHELL CASING WITH THE TARGET ADAPTED TO ACT UPON THE INSERTS TO PRODUCE A MODIFIED SHAPED CHARGE EFFECT BOTH RADIALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY SO AS TO RUPTURE THE SHELL CASING IN LONGITUDINAL SECTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE SPACING OF SAID INSERTS TO DELIVER THE SMOKE-PRODUCING AGENT PRACTICALLY INTACT. 